Sometimes I get this feeling, that Life, this mysterious silent “force” has this innate wisdom, that it is, in its range of subtle hints to blatant vivid methods, is teaching me something- helping me to realize a truth from a variety of perspectives so that I slowly absorb this truth or lesson. And then once I “catch on” to this Life and its doings, I cannot help but marvel at the mind-expanding beauty of this truth or lesson, and am immediately filled with this overwhelming gratitude.

I refer to this experience as a “Theme”…and so since the start of this year, I feel like I am going through a theme on self-realization, meditation, visualization, and experiencing each moment with intention and observation. These are a lot of words I know, but I am having a difficult time trying to capture what I mean with one word…but I suppose I could attempt to describe it using what I consider traditional Buddhist thought. And I also am self-conscious that these phrases I may use to describe this theme sound a bit “new-agey” (whatever that honestly really means anyway)– but my feelings are earnest in this and sincere.

The importance of appreciating each moment and savoring the intangible treasures and miracles really of life including the relationships we have with one another, nature itself surrounding us, to amazing meals made with never tasted before fresh ingredients– Looking back I have learned this “theme” of appreciation, gratitude of every simple thing through a variety of methods–From the past 15 years of traveling, the food, the connections with people there, despite them being from an entirely different culture, the take away is awe in humanity and the beauty of how we are all connected. This is a theme that I am familiar with and realized early on – when I read those seemingly cliche quotes I feel this immediate “yeah I totally get what they mean!”

But now, recently I feel like I am embarking on another level of depth on this theme. As if I have up until now just skimmed the surface. Like looking at a beautiful sports car and admiring it from the outside…but now I am in the driver’s seat, and feeling the raw power and taut steering– Bringing a whole other depth and level to my understanding of the sports car.

And taking this idea of Connection further, recently I have dived deeper into exploring this. We started watching some inspiring documentaries and Ted Talks (thats what happens when you no longer have cable and only have Netflix, you start exploring 😉 They make you take a step back and think of your life/world differently or through another perspective. I’ll have to look up the names to share but some of the main interesting themes were on Connection and Energy–And describing and learning about this on a scientific level, (which appeals to my hubbie and I, since we are very curious with scientific backgrounds).

We learned that there is basically a whole field in physical science dedicated to this–Quantum Physics. Here was a science attempting to describe the seemingly undescribable. What made this science so interesting was that it explored the “why” of things, whereas all other sciences explain only “how” and tied also broadly to spirituality, energy visualization – the power of one’s perspective on the actual outcome or reality.

One of most powerful recent discoveries was about your body’s endocrinology and stress- It was shown how you think about a situation can affect whether you experience the negative effects of stress (cortisol release- high blood pressure etc.) or the positive experience from stress (release of another hormone that actually stimulates a “learning” in your brain neuron connections. For so long people write off “thinking positively” as just a nice fluffy thing–but now as we learn more about our body and the truly impactful power of our mind/thoughts, we see that there is actual scientific support why it is practically beneficial to think positive.

Thus, it is not blind, naive optimism, where you just hastily brush any negative feelings under a rug. But instead it is embracing the situation good AND bad, with loving acceptance and a determination to make the most of what you have. Easier said than done at times of course, but it is always something nice to aspire towards and to remind oneself when stuck in a rut or dealing with a difficult situation. 🙂

These are just some of the delicious culinary highlights from this one Mercado–I could spend a leisurely afternoon/evening just sampling the wonderful variety of tapas. Although Madrid was more the modern city (vs. the charming towns of Sevilla and Cordoba), we greatly enjoyed the food!

Mercado de San Miguel- Culinary super store–Wish they had one of these back home, I’d be hanging out there all the time!Creamy crab mixture with lemon zest on top of a silky piece of salmon atop a slice of toastOne the numerous food stalls in the Mercado de San Miguel…MEATOne of my favorite discoveries on this trip- Razor Clams (I had no idea they looked like this; cylindrical shell tubes, filled with sweet clam meat.)My go-to favorite in southern Spain…Gazpacho–Vibrant garlicky tomato; savory and refreshing!Another food epiphany on this trip: Angulo- baby tender eel, here prepared with a creamy garlic sauce atop toast. I could eat these all day…A familiar dish I have had, simple and delicious– pan-fried/roasted peppers, just seasoned with salt.A happy spread in the Mercado de San MiguelCreamy crab with caviarOh Angulo, how I love thee garlicky creamy light briney/seafood flavor–so addicting!Aaaand…another gazpacho 😀

Another gem in Southern Spain, Cordoba is a charming historical town–small enough to walk its entirety and feel the slower and more quiet pace of life, yet “big” enough with interesting historical sites and a plethora of (heh most important) delicious places to eat. This is precisely a year over due–but having just come back from our recent trip to London, England – San Sebastian, Spain – Syracuse/Ortygia, Ragusa and Taormina, Sicily, this has hastened my lazy butt to hurry up and update!

We stayed in Cordoba for 3 nights- and honestly most tour books would have you visit this place for just a day trip–which you technically probably could cover in 1 day (heck, I “technically” covered Rome in one day – seeing the major sites before later spending a few days there on a separate trip. Of course, I enjoyed the latter trip in Rome infinitely more)– but I always prefer to soak up a place for at least 2 nights if possible. That way, the first day you get oriented to the layout of the place, and then you have a full day to soak up any key sites and then a final decadent dinner. But with 3 nights you have the leisure to really enjoy things in a relaxed state of mind, digging in deeper beyond the surface facade of a place–and enjoy we did 🙂

We arrived via train from Sevilla– And may I just insert a word about trains in Spain that was a revelation for me- It was super smooth and easy to get around using the trains here (perhaps my past experience in Italy made me wary about reliability of train systems). We literally walked into the station not knowing the schedule of the next train, and after buying our tickets, there was a train leaving in 15 minutes, no blank down time waiting around. (Or we were just lucky 😉

From there we hopped into a taxi and on our way to the hotel, was able to view the general layout of the city. I notice that upon first arriving to a city and on the way (either by bus, train or taxi) to our stay, I always hungrily look out the windows- observing the streets, the buildings, the stores, the windows, the people walking, the tree and parks- analyzing and absorbing.

STAY

We arrived at Hotel Viento 10, a hotel that hands-down is probably the best that we have stayed. It is a boutique hotel that has been lovingly and extensively restored by the owner from an ancient building, with preserved frescoes dating back to the early AD interwoven throughout the hotel (we had a beautiful fresco in our bathroom!). The design is what we love, which is modern minimalist but, with rustic nature incorporated throughout–with white washed carved raw rock walls, and pillars (remnants of the previous ancient building which I believe was a convent).

The rooms were spacious and spotless (clean rooms are always my top priority when staying abroad–I admittedly am a little OCD about that, bringing sanitary wipes–yes even to 5 star hotels…heh you never know if they used the same cloth to wipe the toilet as the one used on the glass cups and sink area–a fact that was revealed on an undercover TV show which affirmed my paranoia…BUT I digress!). The bathroom was luxurious with the rain showerhead–like a spa escape.

Each morning the included breakfast was delicious–with homemade specialties such as this “fruit gazpacho” type of dish, basically a blend of melon, sweet and aromatic, and cucumber and a touch of mint–perfectly refreshing and light. We also had fresh squeezed orange juice, hearty coffee; Buttery flaky light croissants a true pillow of airy buttery-ness, rivaling those I had in Paris. We were served a long rectanguar dish with about 7 indentations containing homemade spreads; blueberry and marmalade jams, a garlicky savory tomato blend, and chopped jamon.

SIGHTS

Some random history–Cordoba was an important Roman city and then later in the Middle Ages, an important Islamic cultural center– A wonderful example of the history and combination of the religions in this region.

Cordoba’s old town is situated adjacent to the Guadalquivir River with a beautiful Roman bridge spanning to the other side, built back in 1 B.C. We spent one afternoon lazily walking along the river and then across the scenic bridge, observing the cute geese and duckies and pigeons nesting in the mini islands of the river. We saw the old dilapated water mill that was used to ground flour.

A key sight to see in Cordoba was the beautiful La Mezquita or The Cathedral of Cordoba- a unique mosque that has a catholic church build within the mosque structure. It dates back to 600 A.D. and then in the 1600s was converted to a Catholic cathedral. Interestingly back in the 700s or so, the space was actually shared between the Muslims and the Catholics–a nice example of respecting different beliefs…and all getting along (but since then its remained Catholic and petitions to share again with Muslims for prayer have been rejected…:P)

La Mezquita’s structure is truly unique, unlike the strictly Catholic cathedrals I had typically come across until then in Europe. Walking through the characteristic moorish architectural arches and then smack in the middle is this airy cathedral-esque nave. The courtyard outside is filled with organized fragrant rows of lemon trees (hmph, how come they grow so well –we have one that died in our yard) and a high bell tower clock in the corner.

Courtyard of La Mezquita–graceful archways line the square courtyard, and filled with fragrant rows of orange treesThe clock tower located in the corner of the courtyard of La MezquitaMemorizing repeating arches throughout the interior of La Mezquita

The distinct red/white repeating pattern of stone work –seen in our other travels in southern Spain

A “window shade”–intricately carved such that the light illuminates the carved shapesThe Catholic Nave within this mosqueCelestial …the Catholic nave within the mosque

The Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs is another must-see structure in Cordoba, with this “super mario-esque” high stone walls, with the rectangular cut-outs on the top edge, again similar to that located in Sevilla. The architecture here is so beautiful – a combination of rectangular water fountains, and stone archways and trimmed hedges. Walking through such gardens of the Alcazar brings about a tranquil state of mind–a welcome respite to the blistering heat (luckily though, we were there in September and thus twas a perfect balmy high 70s, vs the 100 or so during summer months).

On the ramparts of the Alcazar–super mario like wall 🙂

Wandering around the old town without a care is another pleasant activity in Cordoba, with this winding streets reminiscent of Sevilla (though we didn’t get lost as much this time). As you walk through the beautiful architecture, you see what they are famous for (mainly in the Spring) their hanging potted plants and their patios, filled with stone paved walkways, fountains and hanging potted plants along the walls.

Walking the lovely narrow streets in the old town of CordobaBeautiful rustic stone walls

Cordoba’s famous planted pots and patios, with (in the spring at least) blooming colorful flowers and cool fountains

EATS

Now…Eats of Cordoba…Can I get a moment of silence please hehe. This was another one of those gastronomic epiphanies that I had while on this glorious trip to Spain. Two things (and other ones but these two stood out and blew our minds):

Roast Suckling Pig (Lechón)

You have had creme brulee right? Well imagine that same amazing texture—the skin perfectly solid crisp, and then the meat underneath succulent, juicy and tender–the most concentrated meaty pork flavor yet delicate. Heaven…Pork creme brulee.

Roast Suckling Lamb (Lechazo asado)

Again, the skin roasted to a airy crisp and the meat juicy to the bone…Both such reverent displays of culinary respect of the meat…and elevating as I said these little baby piggy and and lambie to animal sainthood in the mouth.

Now, I love animals and am very grateful for their sacrifice..and in this case, the tender young ones. But man do they taste amazing–the chefs here definitely treat them with the utmost artistic skill and respect, resulting in such flavor that goes beyond honoring them into sainthood!

We had these two delectable dishes at La Regadera – a cute intimate little restaurant with light wood, white walls, silvery steel whimsical design (it means a watering can or one of those watering spouts for plants).

EATS: Food Honorable Mentions

Besides the mind-blowing suckling pig and lamb, we have the following delicious southern Spain delicacies that were again amazing…We went to Bodega Mezquita Cesperdes located near the (you guessed it!) Mezquita.

Interior of the lovely Bodegas Mezquitas

Rado de Toro – Slow braised ox tail with an unknown subtle spice reminiscent of Arabic, or even Mexican spices. Tender, melting off the bone–rich and meaty served with perfectly roasted/fried potatoes (crispy on the outside and soft in the middle–the potatoes surprisingly sweet and buttery). Rich dark brown broth perfect to soak up with bread.

Mercado Victoria – This was not a dish, but rather a sort of Spanish equivalent to Eataly in New York, except of course with all the delights of Spanish gastronomy. Later I would experience the one in Madrid, which had much better food quality and selection. But this place was still great for drinks and tapas, and mainly a lovely place to hang out and people watch.

Mercado Victoria- lovely rustic, hipster decor- indoor outdoor feel

Mercardo

We had a fun night here (this is what happens if you have a lot of time on your hands hehe you EAT and DRINK): One afternoon, we started with a bottle of cava and ordered some veal hamburgers (interesting, their style is with no lettuce nor tomato but instead with a variety of sauces). Then feeling jolly, we had another bottle of vino blanco sitting outside in the modern rustic patio with bright primary colored chairs, red, lime green, steel and upcycled lampshades of clay pots hanging upside down.

Two bottles down, we then moved to the bar end of the mercado and ordered a mojito, and my hubbie a capuirhina (Brazilian drink). They were playing good music-basically top 40s American and then 80s, then 90s. And…After that, it got real hazy. We had more to drink of course and then met a lovely trio who were happened to be doctor residents. And spent the rest of the evening that I recall blabbing with one of the girls, her name being Pilar Jimenez and she gave us recommendations for Madrid, which she wrote on a napkin. Then I started to not feel good and so we left…and I didn’t wake up until the late afternoon heh. Ahhhh good times 🙂

Sevilla to me is an ideal city to explore and visit for a travelphile. It is rich in history, and the set-up, the architecture makes it a treasure trove to explore easily on foot. I will not spend much detail on the classic must-see places as those can be found in any travel guide book or good ole tripadvisor.com. Instead I’ll share the highlights that made the most lasting impressions on me.

Definitely spend hours wandering visiting the key sites of the Alcazar, the Cathedral, and the Plaza de Espana. For us, it was a novel thing to observe the beautiful and intricate Moorish influence on the architecture, and the incorporation of outdoor gardens (specifically the Alcazar). Having previously been more familiar with architecture from Rome (classical)? -Makes me see the depth and appreciate the potential depth of the realm of historical architecture (vs. when I was younger, I could not understand why one would care so specifically of each architectural detail and the style/era it belonged to…).

This was the balcony of our lovely airbnb where we stayed in Sevilla–perfect location, with easy walking distance to the main sites. (We didn’t get much use unfortunately of the lovely balcony because we were busy exploring the city)Lovely view of the tower from the balcony…

Walking around town, through the narrow alleyways, they would randomly open up into charming triangular plazas I think they call this the mushroom?..It does kind of look fungular hehe –and at night it had cool blue up-lighting, a surprisingly modern structure in this historically rich place. Only one side of the magnificent Cathedral of Sevilla—huge massive square structure with intricate carvings decorating the borders of the stone walls, and framing the great entryways.

ALCAZAR

The wall of the Alcazar (formerly the palace for past Moorish kings)– Heh the pointy ramparts reminded us of Super Mario Brothers… Ancient wall as you enter the Alcazar High archways and warm colorful and hyper-detailed tiles The Alcazar has a lush garden interior with mazes and fountains and random peakcocks Underground water reserve of the Alcazar–where it was said during the super hot summers (and man it gets HOT here) the royals would hang out here where it was dark and cool, the water providing humidity relief from the arid outside heat.

On a side note, this was also in a recent episode of Game of Thrones…heh it seems we are following to all the Game of Thrones locations (2 years ago we were in Croatia–Dubrovnik (King’s landing) and here it is the Dorn palace 🙂 The amazingly detailed stone carvings, giving a sense of delicacy, like overlaid lace, despite it being stone.The round doorways and arches further soften the stone walls. Golden geometry…domed ceiling More beautiful stone work A peaceful beautiful courtyard…ahhh wouldn’t that be nice to add to your home–just in the middle, opening up to a calm rectangular pool of water and orange trees

PLAZA DE ESPANA

Beautiful wide spanse, perfect for strolling off the daily heavenly overdose of tapas and wine 🙂

FLAMENCO

For our flamenco experience (our first time watching a performance) we went toe the Museo del Baile Flamenco – highly recommended. Apparently, this was also where the Japanese prince visited as well as Prince Charles’ girlfriend the duchess…

Ahh the performance! Amazing passion–moments when I couldn’t breathe and I felt my heart pounding..a sweat breaking…all of this sounds dramatic–overly so, exaggerated even, but it truly happened while watching the amazing performances of the flamenco. First a dance with the female and male flamenco dancers, with the wonderful acoustic guitarist and the singer. Then a solo of the guitarist—amazing blending of melodies seemingly effortlessly flying from his fingers–rich full bodied woody sounds…then the solo of the female in her bright yellow dress–up to 40 pounds! Which she elegantly and flamboyantly kicked around with flare….then the solo singer who had very poignant words, he said it all in Spanish but I understood (I have found that I actually in the remote accesses of my mind, understand quite a bit of Spanish, more than I can seemingly speak…) He said that Flamenco does not have a single language–does not need it. Flamenco’s understood through el corazon, the heart.

And indeed there need be no translation when seeing and listening and thus FEELING the raw emotions brought to fiery life by the dancers and the music…the amazingly rapid percussive beats of the dancer’s feet and emotions washing over their faces, expressions and through the movements of their bodies.

TRIANA NEIGHBORHOOD

Last but not least, we so enjoyed taking a trip across the bridge to the Triana neighborhood, framed on one side by the Canal de Alfonso. We went in the evening after yet another delicious Sevilla meal and grabbed a drink at one of the numerous restaurants lining the street parallel to the Canal.

We watched the lights from the bridge sparkle off of the canal; the reflections became a live Monet painting, with the water playing strokes of vivid orange brushes of light, bobbing up and down. And in the distance, the regal Giralda tower and the architectural features of Sevilla on display.

We even happened upon a religious festival–though I was not able to find out which it was–but a la Anthony Bourdain (episode in Granada) they carried a large and heavy gilded religious statue with the parade of people and live band. It was like 11PM at night, and so we counted ourselves lucky to have randomly stepped into this cultural occurrence 🙂

Ahh Sevilla, this beautiful city opened up our eyes to the wonderful south, having only previously visited the north east city of Spain, Barcelona. We took an easy 1 hour flight from Barcelona to Sevilla (making the flight just in time after having a much an indulgent late night prior). Fred was in charge of alarm duty, and unfortunately turned the alarm OFF instead of hitting snooze.

As a result, we woke up over an hour later than what we were planning–scrambled to get ready and finish packing in 15 minutes, made the super jog/power stride walk with roller carry-ons, slowly dislocating the shoulder with each jostling bump, made it to the central bus stop (easy to get to and from the airport by the way! Just hop onto the designated A1 bus I believe, and it will drop you off straight at T1 (you’ll have to check to confirm but overall so very convenient).

Anyways I managed to develop blisters on the bottom pad of my foot—I have never thought you could get blisters there (usually its a small one on the heel or maybe at the edge of the foot, but a big solid one on the middle front!? Ah well, it was worth it because we managed to make our flight just in time 🙂

Upon arriving in the quaint little airport in Sevilla, we easily found the bus that would take us right into town. (Again the bus transportation in Spain was so convenient! Just walked out of the airport sliding doors and walked along the side walk following the clearly marked signs.)

While waiting in line, we started chatting with a very kind and warm older gentleman. As we rode in the bus he told us how he lived in a small remote town outside of Sevilla, and for several years, he would wake up extra early before work to watch from what it sounded like, a TV channel program that teaches English–and that, is how he learned to speak English! He was very eager to practice with us and we made a bargain of sorts, asking that he help us practice Spanish. So there we were on the bus, him speaking English to us and us, replying back in Spanish. When it came to our stop, he went out of is way to notify the bus driver to stop (we were sitting in the rear of the bus)–and after quickly teaching each other the phrase “it was nice to meet you!” (“encantado de conocerle“) we hopped off near the main bus station, located just outside of the main area.

Oh yes, about those winding, curving, maze-like cobblestoned streets, where my seemingly good sense of direction is made completely moot. I am turned around each time when we leave our AirBnB place off of the street Marmoles. I swear that it is the “bermuda triangle”–as each time without fail, either leaving the place or returning to, we must leave an extra 20-30 minutes for inevitably getting lost. But, alas the beauty of being on vacation is that you have no set schedule to keep and though bewildering, getting lost was actually rather fun 🙂

Quick description of our AirBnB (highly recommended!): A very tiny studio at the 4th floor, or attico, of a cute small building on the street of Marmoles. We have a wonderful patio and rooftop deck, that has views of the Giralda tower, of the Catedral, and then the Alcazar- basically a 360 view! We spent the majority of our time out and about wandering, so we did not get to enjoy our deck/patio much, but it was nice to return from the day or first thing in the morning, and take in the gorgeous views, church bells ringing…

FOOD

We had such an eye-opening experience food-wise while in Sevilla. I feel we were introduced more to the gastronomically complex and creative type of tapas/food than what we had previously experienced in Barcelona, which was very fun to discover.

The first night, we went to CASA MORALES and then FREIDURIA LA ISLA, both recommended by our lovely local host. A hearty and warm traditional vibe, Casa Morales has been there for over 200 years, with dark wood counter tops and framing, transporting you back in time. We had wonderful chorizo picante–-slices of reddish sausage, that on the palette is soft and bright, spicy and richly meaty—not heavy and dense as I would have imagined the typical chorizo to be. Then the fried cod, fried bacalao, already seasoned salty and rich, and then with a light crispy layer of fried goodness outside, delicious and perfectly paired with our vino tinto de la casa.

The warm interior of Casa Morales–we had a nice perch at the bar, and the requisite beverage to pair with any tapas meal- vino tinto!Salted cod -crispy fried crust and butter juicy interior meat.Richly complex and savory chorizo picanteTender slices of calamari sprinkled with that amazing smokey paprika, drizzled with their intensely aromatic fresh olive oil and layered on to of thing slices of patata

We then walk across the little alley to a “fried everything” place, Freiduria La Isla, a bright white and blue little shop with a quick to-go window, as well as indoor seating. We order a racion de mixed seafood, with calamari, egg of hake, hake chunks—delicious and of course fried to a crisp, pairing perfectly with our vino blanco

Perfectly fried seafood mix

I muse upon how our livers are going to need a HUGE detox when we return, since we have easily had at least 4-5 glasses of wine each night…yet it is not like we are drunk or wasted at all! It seems that by walking at least 9 miles a day and perhaps a mile at least after each tapas stop, and in between copas de vinas, that we seem to metabolize it just fine (I just hope our livers are as resilient…:) It is like the perfect and beautiful balance of combining fun exercise (taking in lovely sights) with purpose (to get to the next eatery), with intellectually and tongue-stimulating flavors with a happy wine buzz throughout. Ahh..if only every day could be like this!

Then the second day we wander around the town, and have a cute little brunch/lunch at LA CACHARERRIA—I have a much needed green juice, with a pan with a “lomo “ spread..a novelty to me –It is a basically a meat spread, which tastes like smokey meat deliciousness—and then generously drizzle the Spainard’s “banana” ish delicious addicting olive oil—so distinct and differente de los oilos de olivos de Estados Unidos…as you see I try to practice and remember my 4 years of Espanol…unsuccessfully.. hehe Anyways—and then they provide fresh macerated tomatoes which you scoop over it…and then sprinkle freshly dried oregano…just simple flavors and delicious.

The ambiance of this cute little cafe is charming, with stone walls that have insets upon which customers throughout the years have placed coins, making the walls sparkle when looked at from afar.

Exterior of La CacharerriaThe charming stone walls on the inside, with layers of coins stacked on the outcroppingsToast spread with the Lomo (smokey meat richness), slices of fresh cheese, topped with crushed tomatoes and sprinkle of oregano

ESLAVA

Dinner was a huge highlight–recommended by Alan, called Eslava. It was brightly lit and crowded with people standing outside at makeshift tables. The waitress was kind and as we put our name down, she promptly took our drink orders, myself a crisp vino blanco and Fred had cerveza. And then even gave us some delicious olives to munch on.

Be prepared to wait, but…It certainly helps to be able to sip on a crisp glass of white wine and munch on olives and almonds while you wait!As you enter, there is a long bar where all the action happens…there is also a spacious room towards the back, where we sat as well, for larger parties

Highlights here include the egg yolk, perfectly rich and runny, over a slice of morcilla (blood sausage), the BEST clams I’ve ever had in my life: Razor clams (Navajas). I have never seen them before–they are in tube like shells, and not at all in the typical clam shape.

Navajas–Razor clams–the pinnacle of the clam flavor: a delicate yet rich mix of sweetness and briney with a tender, succulent and juicy texture–With a squeeze of fresh lemon= perfection

I love anything with a runny egg yolk and this, this perfectly round golden pillow sitting on top of a slice of morcilla was decadent heavenCarrillada de cerdo iberico al vino tinto (Iberian pork cheeks braised in red wine)…need I say moreAiry crisp fried fish…satisfying since you can eat it whole, bones and all.Soft melting cylinders of seafoody goodness…Seared Scallops –They cook the seafood here perfectly, allowing the natural texture and flavors shine (rather than overwhelm)

Then we went back using the street Spierdes (a main road with lots of shops, much nicer to walk along than the original way we took to get to the restaurant, which was along a main thoroughfair–crowded with cars and of course dust and smog.) The walk back on this street was perfect for people watching, and for soaking in the feel/vibe of Sevilla.

We sat across at a little place (not very remarkable except for their delicious gazpacho served in a wine glass) and viewed the super crowded Bodega Santa Cruz–super popular but sadly we didn’t get to try it out. Maybe next time in Sevilla…

A thing about Gazpacho –This was another revelation for me food-wise. I had no idea that gazpacho could taste so delicious! A refreshing savory tomato with cucumber and garlic, a punch from a dash of vinegar and then a drizzle of the famous rich olive oil….so refreshing and absolutely addicting. It was completely different from the bland weak stuff that I’d had here in the US.

Vino blanco + Zesty bright gazpacho= Happy Tummy

The next day we started our day with delicious tapas at Bar Alfalfa (we started our days late by the way–having our first meal when everyone was having lunch;) But it worked out perfectly because by the time we were ready for dinner, it fit right in with the Spanish norm of dinnertime starting around 10pm.

Its located on a corner at the meeting of many a winding streets and so while trying to find our way (numerous times during our stay here), we passed by it many times. We decided to finally check it out since it was our last day in Sevilla, and we sure are glad that we did! We crowded our way in towards the main bar and were met with the friendly servers who provided menus and also referred to the chalkboard on the wall.

A note about the ambiance of tapas bars–I actually miss this, the walking into a space, straight to the bar, and ordering. There is something spontaneous-feeling about just well, standing while you eat. Its as if you are more involved in some way, compared to passively sitting and awaiting the food to arrive on a pre-planned/plotted out plate. The food seems more exciting an experience for some reason.

Inside Bar Alfalfa–Nice casual vibe with delicious rustic tapas and sangria.As we gathered at the bar, munching our tapas, we eyed the lovely leg of Jamon …little did we know the amazingness that we would taste later that day for dinner!Refreshing afternoon beverage: SangriaRoasted eggplant slices with garlic and olive oil–simple and rusticLast but certainly not least, my favorite addictive Gazpacho–nicely chilled for the hot day (I suspect that the numerous indulgences I had with this garlicky soup protected me from a pesky mosquito that was in our room, since I normally always get bit (mosquitos loooove me) but interestingly the mosquito only bit my husband and avoided me during our stay!

LA AZOTEA

Okay so this last restaurant needs its own separate section: La Azotea.

This was another place recommended by our friend, where apparently the chef or owner used to live in our hometown San Diego (Pacific Beach) and surfed and worked as a cook at the restaurant Costa Brava. Then he returned to Sevilla and opened this wonderful restaurant. Here we experienced NUMEROUS eye-opening (tummmie-opening) flavors that we had not yet experienced before, which is always so exciting and fun and is the essence of why I love traveling so much.

We perfectly showed up right when it opened, and already a crowd was gathering. We were the very first ones in 🙂 And so we chose some stools at the bar, wanting to be able to witness the action.

Our final dinner in Sevilla–Amazing

Sitting at the bar, with our requisite starter: Glasses of vino 🙂

Two Standout Highlights:

Jamon Iberico

Erase what you think you know about “Spanish Iberico Ham”…mistakenly likened to Italian Proscuitto (blasphemous to do apparently when in Spain, as a friend of mine mistakenly discovered)- the only commonality is that they are both from pork. One taste of true Jamon Iberico, I felt like I hit the hugest of epiphanies in regards to my idea of cured meat. Sure, I’ve had “jamon iberico” at fancy restaurants (paid a grip for a plate of satiny ribboned slices) but in my memory, they really did not stand out much–just another salty cured meat…with some richness but nothing earth shattering. And indeed I could see how having only experienced this caliber of jamon iberico, how one could make a comparison to proscuitto (which is of course delicious in its own right–but the depth, earthy, rich, complexity is completely different).

We ordered a plate, and watched as the server meticulously sliced robust (thicker than what I’d had in the US) slices of deep red from the pork leg mounted on the stand. Each slice had a perfect sliver of fat–which I realized balanced perfectly with the ruby red meat section. I placed a slice of jamon iberico into my mouth and was instantly hit with the following analogy:

When comparing the exquisite flavor of what I was tasting vs. the previous “jamon iberico” that I have had (in quotations since I now see what a sham those were vs. the real thing) would be in wine terms, like comparing 2 buck chuck Charles Shaw wine with a 2008 Caymus Reserve (or something to that effect)—Bright simple, a bit unbalanced towards salty vs. rich velvety smokey complex. Indeed, that was the disparity of difference. The Jamon Iberico had this addicting sweetness from the aged fat, creamy-balancing the round smokey meaty rich flavor, resulting in just a shock of deliciousness: Amazing!

Jamon Iberico– one bite of this here, obliterated all cured meats I’d ever tasted prior. It is an art masterpiece on a plate.

Sea Anenome (Anenoma de Mar)

I have never had sea anemone before or never encountered it on a menu. They prepared this richly seafoodie flavored animal with scrambled eggs, the fluffy light creamy texture of the eggs seemingly highlighting the rich flavor even more. Topped with crispy fried slivers of potato, which texture-wise was perfect to contrast the soft creamy texture of the anemone scramble.

Croquettes (with I forget, but I suspect something to do with squid ink), and fried cod with a salmorejo-type sauceBraised beef…rich and fall off the boneUnexpected to have in Spain–Creamy fresh stack of salmon tartar; the rawness a nice departure from all of the meats we were eating.

This is a much belated food review from our lovely Oregon trip back in August. Looking back, one dish really stood out among the numerous delicious things we had:

The Steak Tartare at Paley’s Place in Portland, OR.

I have had a few steak tartares since then, and have had several prior to Paley’s version, but none, none whatsoever come close to their version.

At first glance, it is quite a simple dish. Steak tartare is raw beef–ground into small chunks ranging from the fine grind you see at the grocery store in cellophane wrapped trays, to larger toothy chunks. But it is a deceptively simple dish, similar to sushi. Where indeed it is about the quality of the ingredients that make the flavors shine, but also the thoughtful and delicate way in which it is put together.

Here the tartare the grind was cut perfectly to do the texture and quality of the meat justice: not so finely ground that it felt mushy in any way, reminding one of babyfood— nor was it too large so that you felt you were gnawing on it–but just right (a la Goldilocks) where there was enough texture to appreciate the buttery clear sweet and rich beef flavor and elicit the intrinsic meat eater instinct. I wish I knew where they obtained the meat–the quality was amazing. There were not any stray extra chewy pieces mixed in with buttery smooth pieces (as I typically find at other places)–just consistently pleasing texture throughout.

Another kicker to this dish was the use of a big golden sphere of deliciousness that is duck egg yolk. It added a more complex yolkie flavor than typical chicken egg, bathing each morsel of meat in richness.

Served simply with diced onions, capers and finely chopped parsley–all perfect counterpoints to the rich tartare.

Barcelona is such an easily walk-able city, with the majority of key sights all within an hour or hour and a half’s walk away. (That may sound like a long walk but that was the furthest point A to point B –seaside to Park Guell. Plus, you’re on vacation and what else is there truly to do but to see and hear and absorb the rich architecture, the people, the vibe–and I think there is no better way to accomplish this than using your two feet 🙂 (or four paws if you are of the fuzzie persuasion).

This entry will cover some of the random highlights of sights from our walk-abouts in Barcelona. From tripadvisor etc. you can easily find the main attractions (which I include a bit as well), but this is mainly a spattering of random sights that personally made our experience.

As with all cities, there are numerous neighborhoods with each their own different atmosphere that all comprise the overall city of Barcelona. One our favorites to stroll around in, especially in the evening, was the El Born area. It has a lovely bustling and lively vibe with restaurants, shops–and without the overtly jaded touristy feeling that I felt walking down Las Ramblas.

Wandering the streets in El Born area–lovely iron work lamps and balconies

Walking along the Passeig del Born, we passed this memorial

We saw this graffiti bear (Mr. Bear we liked to call him) in quite a few places throughout the walls of Barcelona, and then later on, even as far south in Sevilla and Madrid! So I suppose, were I to regard this like our wonderful American graffiti-taggers, this bear must be this gang’s mascot. Or probably not gang related and maybe a political symbol? Or a random cartoon artist practicing his art…

When we first arrived in Barcelona, it was Sunday, and luckily we were able to observe the Catalan Sunday tradition after mass, (called La Saldana), right outside of the Catedral de Barcelona (beautiful gothic cathedral in the Barri Gotic area.)

After meandering a bit through the Gothic quarter, we headed outside of it along a main street and happened upon the Arc de Triomf (it seems indeed arcs are quite popular in European major cities)

Arc de Triomf

A refreshing and lovely area to hang out is near the harbor, with rows of sailboats gently bobbing in the water and with the relatively new Rambla del Mar walkway with curving features- further adding to Barcelona’s artistically modern and old features.

Port de Barcelona building with buttery yellow walls

Rambla del Mar, and the half-arc W hotel on the distant right

Lovely line of sail boats with a silvery sky

Fred loves to fish so of course we went to the Aquarium, and it was actually a very nice one! We saw many a funnie looking fish—I especially liked this funny freshwater blimpie looking smiling round fish. (He is related to the piranha). We tend to assign personalities to things –I think a residual child-like trait we’ve both retained into adulthood (and beyond I’m sure).

The expression these fishes had were also hilarious–especially the one on the right–he looks like he is grinning happily

The grumpy slow looking Dusky GrouperMola Mola (my favorite fishie by mere virtue of the funny expression on his face)

The next day we walked from our airbnb place in the El Born area, all the way up to Park Guell. On the way we stopped by a charming little Molika Cafe for paninis and and coffee. We sat at a small bistro table propped against the cafe on the sidewalk, with large leafy trees providing shade with speckled sunlight. We observed life going on –people parking their scooters, walking their dogs, or on their way to work, or home with groceries.

Yummie panini snack at Molika Cafe on our way to Park Guell

It was a very gradual but long incline all the way–passing neighborhoods and buildings, in the hot humidity to finally make it at the entrance of Park Guell. We were greeted by two gingerbread-looking homes on either side (of actually the exit). Such whimsical structures, from the bright multi-colored mosaic tiles covering the surfaces of benches, ceilings, walls, to reddish mud colored caves. Higher and higher you can climb and enjoy views out to the sea–the aquarium in the distance. It was a cloudy day, but we were still able to see the city of Barcelona sprawling out below and beyond.

“Gingerbread” houses (Park Guell)

Spiraling up–walkways that look like they were whimsically built from sand/mud

The famous geckoThe columns look like a cartoon version of the classic Roman columns we so often seeTile mosaic benchesRustic archwaysThe cloudy view to the distant sea

Last but certainly not least, La Sagrada Familia. When I had last come to Barcelona, the interior of this glorious cathedral was unfortunately under construction, although even then walking through the scaffolding and draping plastic tarps, I could see the glimpses of the breathtaking soaring architecture, so seemingly whimsical, free, humorous almost–such a departure from probably 99% of all cathedrals in the rest of the world with their more austere lines and shapes. But this time, the construction in the interior was complete and it was an amazing space to behold.

Soaring and gracefully curving columns, everywhere curves, light and shadows playing at first glance carefree and inspiring fun imagination –but after reviewing the museum at the lower level, I realize that the eclipse and curving interlocking joints of the structure all have precisely calculated meaning. Overall La Sagrada Familia is a perfect juxtaposition to St. Peter’s Basilica in Roma–One ancient, austere, formal and with gravity—this one a fantastical, playful, curving light and shadow imagination–but both absolutely awe-inspiring, inducing one to feel “religious” even if they are not–both inspiring an ethereal heavenly feeling.

I especially loved the vibrant stained glass–so vivid, bright and full of life–the glass seeming to glow and splashing its colors on the smooth marble floor.

La Sagrada Familia–The sun came out at last (while we were waiting in line it rained-highly recommend buying it online instead of waiting in line.